Florida Supreme Court throws out caps on medical malpractice verdicts in the State of Florida.

On March 13, 2014 The Florida Supreme Court voided a state law that limits how much money plaintiffs can be awarded in wrongful death cases caused by medical malpractice. (McCall v. United States)
This sparked an energetic debate between supporters and opponents.

Supporters of malpractice caps argue that such limits prevent outrageously high jury awards for subjective claims such as â€śpain and suffering.â€ť Thus, eliminating such awards should translate into lower malpractice insurance premiums and lower costs for doctors and hospitals, which in turn translate into lower healthcare costs for consumers.

Opponents say that medical malpractice caps end up hurting those plaintiffs who suffered so much harm that they deserve larger awards. They also say that malpractice caps unfairly penalize plaintiffs who were injured by medical malpractice. Plaintiffs, who suffered similar injuries through other incidents unrelated to malpractice such as a car crash, for example are not subject to such caps and can be awarded whatever amount a jury deems appropriate.

Floridaâ€™s law that was struck down by the stateâ€™s high court last month had established a $1 million cap on non-economic damages. Although caps were meant to reduce insurance costs, there is no provision in those caps that requires insurance companies to share the savings with the physicians, so there is no proof that placing a cap helps the average consumer. Furthermore, caps essentially overrule jurors who have determined that a plaintiff should receive a certain award after listening to the evidence.

When we place ourselves under the care of a medical professional, we expect that their training allows them to provide us with proper and effective medical care. Unfortunately, that isnâ€™t always the case. People do make mistakes, and sometimes they come with dire consequences.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen K. Miller want to ensure that doctors, nurses, and hospitals are providing the level of care that is medically appropriate. If you feel like your healthcare provider did not provide you with appropriate and acceptable treatment, and that this has resulted in a personal injury or the death of a family member, you may be able to recover monetary damages.

Our attorneys at the Law Offices of Stephen K. Miller seek to make sure that victims of medical malpractice receive the compensation they deserve. We believe you should receive the best legal representation, which is why we want to make sure you are best served by an attorney that is experienced and has compassion. We work closely with families who face wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits. Our top goal is to improve the lives of the victims of medical malpractice. Our law firm accepts medical malpractice and wrongful death cases on a contingency contract, which means you would owe us neither legal fees nor costs unless we receive compensation for your losses. There is no up front cost to you for us to handle the case. We have offices in Gainesville, Ocala, Chiefland, Lake City, Palatka, Jacksonville, Daytona, Palm Coast, St. Augustine, Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Mary, and Melbourne.

If you or a family member has been seriously injured or died because of negligence or malpractice, contact the Law Offices of Stephen K. Miller for a free phone consultation at (866) 496-8752 or via email at Info@ForYourLaw.com
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